Villa Ebe e le Rampe Lamont Young

Napoli (NA)

Hidden gemCastles

Villa Ebe e le Rampe Lamont Young, Napoli (NA)
Villa_Ebe.jpg: CityClass derivative work: Hic et nunc (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The story

Lamont Young dreamed of a Naples crossed by canals and underground railways. Nobody listened. In 1929 he shot himself inside this neo-Gothic castle built for his wife Ebe. In 2000 an arson fire devoured its interiors.

Access

NOT open to visitors. Visible only from outside, from Monte Echia and the seafront

The story

Villa Ebe is the neo-Gothic castle that crowns the Rampe di Pizzofalcone, above Monte Echia. The architect Lamont Young, of Scottish origin, built it, giving it the name of his wife Ebe. After the heirs ceded it to the Municipality, the villa fell into abandonment; an arson in 2000 destroyed its helical staircase and devastated the interiors.

What to see

The romantic outline of the castle, with its neo-Gothic forms facing the gulf, at the top of the Rampe di Pizzofalcone: one of the architectural dreams of Lamont Young, today an open wound of the city awaiting recovery.

Tips

Villa Ebe is in a state of abandonment and is not visitable inside: it is observed from the outside, from the Rampe di Pizzofalcone or from Monte Echia. Despite the funding announced over the years, the restoration has not yet taken place: check the current state before counting on it.

Frequently asked questions

What is Villa Ebe?

The neo-Gothic castle built by Lamont Young at the top of the Rampe di Pizzofalcone, dedicated to his wife Ebe; today in a state of abandonment.

Can you visit Villa Ebe?

No: it is in a state of abandonment and not visitable inside, damaged by a fire in 2000; it is observed only from the outside.

Where is Villa Ebe?

At the top of the Rampe di Pizzofalcone, above Monte Echia, in the San Ferdinando district of Naples.

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